I haven’t posted in so long, and now I have loads of things to report! First of all, I got to explore the beaches of São Paulo state. First we went to Mongaguá, a small town on the south coast, then to Santos, which is slightly less south, and then to Camburi, situated on the north coast of São Paulo, in the direction of Rio de Janeiro. All three were beautiful, which soft white sand and perfect waves for surfing, if you’re so inclined, and all three had something special to offer. Mongaguá is the kind of town that you pass on the highway and wonder who could live in a place so removed from everywhere else, but once you’re in it, you see why. It’s laid back, quiet and serene. (And it’s home to Aperriado, which I’ll get to later.) Santos has the beach, but it’s also a metropolitan port city, full of fun touristy things like museums (there’s even one all about coffee) and an aquarium (complete with penguins and a sea turtle!). And Camburi is peaceful, but in a completely different way. It’s got cyclists and friendly neighbours, just like Mongaguá, but it’s also about twice the distance from the big city and is home to plenty of surfers, since the beach delivers the kind of waves you think you’d only see in movies.

And now back to Mongaguá’s extra special attribute: Aperriado. One thing you can guarantee you’ll find on São Paulo’s beaches is ice cream (among many other treats). Wheeling a cart along the sand seems to be a popular job in a Brazilian beach town, and Aperriado is by far the best salesman I met on the beach (or probably anywhere else, for that matter). After offering us ice cream in his completely incomprehensible accent and manner of speaking, Aperriado came back to our spot on the beach to tell us about his second career as a musician, offering us his CDs and DVDs as well (4th and 6th, respectively). While we didn’t take him up on the offer, although he tried hard to change our minds, he did give us a copy of the local paper, complete with an advertisement for his CDs, DVDs and shows.

The second musician we saw this past week was a bit more experienced than the first. The legendary Tom Zé, known for his over-the-top performances and contribution to the Tropicália movements in the ’60s, played to an overflowing pavilion in São Bernardo do Campo, and it was obvious why his career has lasted so long. The 74-year-old from Bahia played for a full hour and a half, and never slowed down to take a breath. I have a feeling his show is just as entertaining and energetic as it was all those years ago when he helped start a movement with some of Brazil’s best (Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, to name a few).